Apparatus for printing wall-paper



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G. K. BIRGE. APPARATUS FOR PRINTING WALL PAPER. No. 479,346. PatentedJuly 19, 1892.

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G. K. BIRGE. APPARATUS FOR PRINTINGWALL PAPER. No. 479,346. PatentedJuly 19, 1892.

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APPARATUS FOR PRINTING WALL PAPER.

No. 479,346. Patented July 19, 1892.

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Patented July 19, 1892.

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UNITED STATES GEORGE K. BIRGE, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

BUFFALO, NEWV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING WALL-PAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,346, dated July 19,1892. Application filed July 27, 1891. Serial No. 400,784. (No model.)

The method now commonly employed and known as the varnish processconsists in first applying to the portions of the paper.

which are to receive the dry bronze or other powdered coating aslow-drying gold size or varnish and to the remaining portions of thepattern a quick-drying color or colors for completing the pattern. Thepaper is then hung upon drying-racks until the quick-drying colors aredry, and while the slow-drying varnished portions of the paper are stillwet, the paper is passed through a bronzing-machine whereby the drybronze or other powdered coating substance is delivered upon the paper,the powdered material adhering to the varnished portions, While thesurplus material is removed from the paper by dusting; The paper is thenagain allowed to dry preparatory to rolling it up. This process is slow,involves considerable labor, and requires a large floor-space for thenecessary apparatus.

The objects of my invention are to produce wall-paper of the characterreferred to in a more expeditious manner and with less labor thanheretofore, to apply the bronze or other powdered coating and the colorsto the paper automatically in one continuous operation, and thus obviatethe necessityof intermediate or repeated drying operations, and toproduce results not possible by the old process, such as printing colorson top of a bronze or mica ornament.

The accompanying c'lrawings, comprising four sheets, represent apparatuswhich embody my invention.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the preferred form of theapparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the devices forapplying the bronze or other coating substance to the paper. Fig. 3 isatop plan view thereof. Fig. l is a fragmentary front elevation of theapparatus. Fig. 5 is afragmentary side elevation showing the means fordriving the bronze-applying mechanism. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinalsection of a modification of the apparatus.

- Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A is the stationary supporting-frame of the machine, and B a rotaryprinting-cylinder mounted upon a horizontal shaft 1), journaled inbearings in the stationary supportingframe. This printing-cylinder maybe of the ordinary construction employed in machines for printingwall-paper.

O is a sizing-roller arranged on the front side of the printing-cylinderand having on its periphery that portion of the design or pattern whichis to be covered with bronze, mica, flock, or other ornamental coating.This sizing-roller applies to the paper a quick-drying gum, size, orvarnish, any well-known size or varnish which dries rapidly beingsuitable for the purpose. The sizing-roller is supplied from a fountainor receptacle 0' by an endless apron G running in contact with thesizing-roller and a take-up roller 0 immersed in the fountain. Thisendless apron runs around guide-rollers, as shown. The fountain O issupported upon a casing D, arranged at the front of the machine andinclosing the devices for applying the bronze or other coating to thepaper. This casing is supported upon a frame D.

The mechanism whereby the powdered bronze, mica, flock, or a similarsubstance is applied to the paper after the same has received the sizingconsists, )referably, of a hopper 6, into which the bronze or othermaterial is deposited, an endless apron E, arranged in the casing Dbelow the hopper and receiving the material discharged from the hopper,and a rotary brush E, which removes the material from the apron andthrows it upwardly and rearwardly against the paper. The hopper ispreferably provided in its discharge opening or throat with a gate f forregulating the discharge of the material therefrom. As the apron passesunderneath the rotary brush the latter sweeps the material from theapron and throws it against the paper, a portion of the materialadhering to the moist-varnished portions of the paper, while theremainder falls upon the bottom of the casing. The periphery or face ofthe rotating brush is 'arranged at a short distance from the printedsurface of the paper, so that the brush itself does not touch the paper,but merely throws the bronze against the same, whereby the pattern,which has been printed with size, is completely covered with bronzewithout being brought into contact with the brush. This effects auniform and even coating of the pattern with the bronze and prevents themoistsize printing from being disturbed by the bronze-applying deviceand also prevents the latter from becoming cotered with size.

g g represent reciprocating polishers arranged in the casing D behindthe deliverybrush and bearing against the paper, so as to compress andpolish the bronze or other material adhering to the varnished portionsof the paper. These polishers are faced with sheep-skin or other softmaterial and are vibrated transversely by eccentrics g, secured to anupright shaft 9 as represented in Figs. 3 and 4.

h h are cleaners arranged in the casing D in rear of the polishers g forremoving the surplus bronze or other material from the paper. Thesecleaners consist, preferably, of rotary feather brushes, which dust theloose bronze off the paper. The detached material which accumulates inthe casing D is removed through an opening in the bottom of the easing,to which is applied a hinged door d. An inclined delivery-board i isarranged in the casing D for directing the detached material toward thedischarge-opening of the latter.

I I are print-rollers arranged beyond the cleaners h h on the rear sideof the cylinder and which bear the remaining portion of the design orpattern. These rollers apply the colors to the paper to complete thepattern after the bronze or other material has been applied to thevarnished portions of the paper. The print-rollers are supplied withcolors in a well-known manner by endless aprons j, running in contactwith take-up rollers j, immersed in the fountains j The sheet of paperto be printed is inserted between the printing-cylinder B and thesizing-cylinder and passes between the cylinder, the polishers. g,cleaners h, and print-rollers I, being conveyed through the machine bythe several rollers bearing against the printing-cylinder in a commonmanner. As the paper passes between the printing-cylinder and thesizingroller it receives from the latter the quickdrying size orvarnish, and before the latter has had time to dry or set the paperarrives opposite the delivery brush, which latter throws the bronze,mica, flock, or other coatiug substance against the paper, covering thevarnished portions thereof. The coated portions of the paper are nextsmoothed by the polishers g and then freed from the surplus material bythe cleaners h. It finally passes over the print-rollers I, from whichit receives the colors which complete the pattern. The paper is now hungupon suitable drying-racks,

and when dry is rolled up ready for storage or shipment.

By applying the bronze or other coating to the paper by means of aquickdrying varnish and subsequently printing the color or colors whichcomplete the pattern the varnished and coated portions of the paper arecomparatively dry when the paper leaves the apparatus, so that but ashort period is required to finish drying the paper upon the racks. Thedrying operation, which must precede the application of the bronze tothe sized paper in the old process, is thus dispensed with, thereby notonly effecting an important saving in the time required to finish thepaper, but also saving the labor incident to an extra handling thereoffor the intermediate drying operation. As the drying of the varnishedportions of the paper is effected principally during the transit of thepaper through the apparatus, fewer drying-racks are required in afactory of a given capacity than bythe old method, thus economizing,also, in floorspace. When the layer of bronze, mica, or other coating isso dense or absorbent that it dries the varnish quickly, the ordinaryslowdrying varnish or size may be employed; but I prefer a quick-dryingVarnish because it produces better work.

Another important feature of my improved apparatus is the embodimentofthe bronzing and printing devices in a single machine, whereby the paperis bronzed or otherwise coated and then printed in one continuousoperation without requiring the paper to be handled between the sizingand bronzing 0perations or between the bronzing and printing operations.This organization of the bronzing and printing devices in the samemachine still further reduces the amount of floor-space required. Afterthe bronze or other coating is applied to the varnished portions of thepaper and by the time that the latter reaches the print roller orrollers which apply the colors the bronzed or coated portions are sonearly dry that the colors can be printed closely to the edge or on topof tho bronzed or coated portions of the pattern without liability ofthe colors and the sizing running together and spoiling the pattern.This is especially advantageous in certain classes of designs-such, forinstance, as those in which the body of the design is covered withbronze, mica, or flock and outlined or subdivided by colors.

The arrangement of the bronze-applying device on the under side of theimpression-surface permits of the arrangement of the size and colorprinting devices also on the lower side of the impression-surface, sothat the size and the color which runs rather freely are elevated fromtheir reservoirs to the printrollers, whereby flooding of theprint-rollers is prevented.

Fig. 6 shows a machine which may be employed for ornamenting the patternor design with mica of different colors. These are produced by applyingdifierent-colored gums or varnishes to the portions of the paper whichare to receive the mica, which latter being transparent presents theappearance of being variously colored. In the machine above referred tothree'sizing-rollers J are employed for applying three gums or varnishesof different colors to the paper and the mica is delivered upon thepaper from the hopper J by an endless belt or carrier J the upper end ofwhich is arranged in close contact with the paper on theprinting-cylinder.

In the construction of the machine represented in Fig. 6 thedelivery-brush is omitted and the powdered material is applied to thepaper by the direct contact of the carryingapron with the paper. Thisconstruction is simpler than the one in which the brush is employed, butis not so desirable in other re spects.

The machine represented in Fig. 6 contains but a single-print roller I,which is used, for instance, when the pattern which receives thepowdered material is bounded by an outline in a color. When no color isto be printed upon the paper except that which is. applied by thevarnish or size which is covered by the powdered material, theprint-roller is omitted.

I claim as my invention .1. In a machine for printing wall-paper, thecombination, with an endless impression-surface, of a preliminarysizing-roller, whereby the pattern is printed by an adhesive liquid, asubsequent printing-roller, whereby the pattern is printed with color,and an intermediate bronze-applying device, whereby bronze or powderedmaterial is applied to the size printing while the paper is moving inthe printing-machine from the sizing-roller to the color-printin groller, substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for printing wall-paper, the combination, with anendless impression-surface, of a sizing-roller arranged on the receivingside of theeimpression-surface, a colorprinting roller arranged on thedelivery side of the impression-surface, and an intermediatebronze-applying device arranged on the under side of theimpression-surface, substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for printing wall-paper, the combination,with an endlessimpression-surface, of a sizing-roller, by which the pattern is printedwith an adhesive liquid, and a rotating' bronze-applying device havingits face arranged at a distance from the under side of theimpression-surface and from the paper moving with the same, whereby thebronze is thrown against the paper while the bronzeapplying device doesnot come in contact therewith, substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine for printing wall-paper, the combination, with anendless impression-surface, of a sizing-roller, whereby the pattern isprinted with an adhesive liquid, a bronze-applying device, wherebybronze or powdered material is delivered upon the printed paper, apolisher whereby the bronze is smoothed, a cleaner whereby the surplusbronze is removed, and a print-roller whereby a color is printed uponthe bronzed paper, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 21st day of July, 1891.

GEORGE K. BIRGE. Witnesses:

HENRY M. OoWLEs, JAS. B. WEAVER.

